Finn's Red Flower
by InaereiShadowsong
Summary: A hero and his dog have protected princesses for years and kept the peace but after his disappearance, OOO fell into chaos. The Ice King has set his eyes on the Flame Princess. With new allies, the Ice King is more powerful than ever and is planning an invasion. The champion of OOO is gone, and a tyrant of a King is expanding his borders. Will OOO ever return to its former glory?
1. Enter Finn

Chapter 1

"Welcome one and all! To the Annual Gumdrop Festival!" Princess Bonnibelle Bubblegum greeted her guests with open arms. The strawberry blonde royal was wearing a newly made dress of pink silk, puffy sleeves and her royal crown sat on her head reflecting the afternoon sun.

Her greeting was welcomed by cheers from the crowd. The streets of the Candia Kingdom were filled performers, laughing children and smiles from everyone. Stalls of food, toys and trinkets lined the halls. Even other royals from ally kingdoms, dressed in magnificent gowns and suits, attended the festival. Princess Bonnibelle was only fourteen years old when she came to the throne when a horrible plague claimed her parents. With the guidance of Sebastian Peppermint, her reign has brought happiness and joy to her people. Princess Bonnibelle started the Gumdrop Festival in the honor of her parents' anniversary.

The fifteen year old was greeted by her adoring subjects and polite gestures were exchanged from the other royals. The festival would last the whole day. When the sun set, the guests were ushered to the palace gardens and served dinner. Everyone was in good spirits when the Queen of the Night o'Sphere, Marceline, brought out her blood red axe bass guitar. She wore elegant dark silver armor, tight black leather pants and brown leather boots. Her midnight black hair fell down to her knees like a cape of shadows over her tall, pale frame as her melodic voice echoed through the whole kingdom as a grand finale for the Festival. Just as her song was about to end, a crash interrupted. A white horse in blue armor rode through the guests and stopped in front of the queen. An old but healthy man with a very long pointed nose and white hair wearing armor of pale silver and blue looked down on the pale queen. The Ice King looked around and his eyes fell on the shocked princess. His knights weren't far behind him. At his command, they attacked. The old king's white knights over powered the surprised Candia Knights and surrounded the guests. Sebastian hid the princess behind him while Queen Marceline held her axe in a battle stance before the Ice King. "Simon, you were banned from this kingdom by the previous king and queen. You'd better leave, before I make you," the queen growled as her gripped tightened on the axe. Her own knights, in dark silver armor, stood by her side loyally.

The white haired king laughed and looked down in the face of the warrior queen from his white horse. "That princess will make a fine wife for me. I will raise her nicely and she will bear my children. Now I know you were close friends were her parents. I bet you made a promise to protect her."

"Yes and I intend on keeping that promise," she said grimly. The Queen of the Night raised her axe above her head and brought it down crashing right in front of the horse. Startled by the weapon breaking into the asphalt, the horse reared back and knights collided. It was like a realistic chess battle; black versus white, each defending their monarch. The king and queen fought as Sebastian and other Candia staff led all the guests into the safety of the palace walls. The other royals have sent their men in order to aid the queen and have requested cavalries from their own kingdoms to come. The princess watched in horror as people ran screaming. She watched as a little brown haired boy dragged his sister away from the fighting. She watched as they were trampled on by one of the horses of the Ice King's knights. She fell to her knees, unable to take bloodshed, and sobbed. "Princess!" Sebastian screamed, running towards her as he pulled mouth a dagger from his blue suit but was stopped by a white knight. The Ice King's personal knight, Gunther, was riding towards her on a gray horse.

The battling Queen heard the butler scream and whipped her head around. She pulled her axe from the body of the white knight she just killed. "Bonnibelle!" She roared as she threw her axe towards the horse. The old, polished red axe used to create the foundations of the Night Palace beheaded the beast, making it drop its master. Queen Marceline drew out a black blade with a blood red hilt and swung at the nearby knights. Gunther, however, was still able to move. He limped towards the Candia Princess with murderous intent.

The princess saw the blood lust in his eyes and the black blade that he dragged with him. She finally found her voice and yelled "Marceline! Sebastian!" Both of them immediately killed their opponents and ran towards her. Marceline was stopped by the Ice King himself who had a smug look in his face. Sebastian was very fast but he was too far. Gunther grabbed the princess's throat and held the blade to her throat. He let out a bloodcurdling roar that stopped all the fighting. In less than a second, the sounds of clashing metal stopped and everyone started at the insane man that held the princess. "Excellent work as always ,Gunther. That's why you're my number one man," the Ice King praised.

Gunther smiled wickedly but his head was immediately jerked back as if slapped. He turned his head back and a large circular bruise was already forming on his cheek as he spit out a couple teeth. "Who dares to hurt me?" Gunther screamed at the other knights and the guests in the palace. Before anyone can even look around, a large golden bulldog, large enough to carry a grown man, started barking at him. "Shut that mutt up," the Ice King commanded dot one of his knights. The knight pointed his crossbow at the dog, but before he could have pulled the trigger, he was knocked back by some invisible force.

"Don't even think about hurting my dog, old man!" Everyone looked to the roofs of the houses that lined the streets. A boy with short, blonde hair wearing a light blue shirt with a white hoodie with bear ears and dark blue shorts stood on top of a one-story house. In his hand was a sling-shot that he used to shoot rocks at the Ice King's way. He threw that at the Ice King who just dodged it and drew a chipped and scratched golden sword with a red a gem in its black hilt. "You also shouldn't be kidnapping princesses and forcing the to marry you!" The boy exclaimed and pointed the tip of his sword at the old monarch.

A wicked grin spread over the king's face. Laughter erupted from his chest and his knights joined him. "Oh that is rich," the king said after he got his breath back. He stepped toward the house the boy was standing on and mockingly applauded him. "How old are you, child? Nine? Ten?" He chuckled.

"I'm eleven," the boy screamed back defensively.

"Ooh, eleven. I'm so frightened! What makes you think you can stand a chance against me and my Knights?" The Ice King laughed.

As a response the dog jumped at the king just as the boy threw a rock at Gunther's hand, knocking the sword out of his hand. Then the boy jumped on the both of them. At the same time, Marceline was easily able to take down two more knights. Fighting broke out again and Gunther threw the two children off of him then dove for his sword. The eleven year old boy was a couple inches shorter than the princess that he pushed behind him. Gunther found his sword and turned towards the youths. The boy raised his own sword and waited for the elder to make his move. Gunther roared angrily and charged at the boy. Even though he was almost twice as tall and trained for more years than this boy was alive, he refused to show mercy. Their swords clashed and the boy pushed the princess away. The golden dog appeared before the princess and tugged at dress. Bonnibelle followed the dog who led her towards Sebastian's arms then into the castle walls.

Thanks to his small size, the boy was able to move around quickly. He ran under Gunther's legs, climbed on his back and rode him like a bull. Then he jumped off and parried Gunther's sword with his own. The little boy drove back the Ice King's first Knight with very surprising skill. The King jumped back on his horse and watched Gunther fight with the boy. His eyes widened and he immediately called back his forces. "Gunther! That's enough! The princess is gone. We no longer have business here!"

"You're not going anywhere," Marceline whispered right behind him. She thrust her blade forward but was knocked off when the horse reared.

"Sorry, Night o'Sphere queen, maybe next time," he retorted as he rode towards Gunther. He pulled him to the horse and started down to the boy. He was still holding a defensive stance while his dog a took a position between his master and horse. "You are strong. What is your name boy?" the Ice King demanded. Instead of answering, the boy spit at the king's direction. Simon's eyes widened in shock. "Learn to respect your authority, child. An orphaned runt like you has nothing. You don't even know your own heritage," he spat out. He turned to his men and spat out "Let's go!"

The white knights followed their king out of the street of Candia as sadness filled the dark blue eyes of the blonde boy.

* * *

"There, all finished," Dr. Cream said to Queen Marceline.

"Thanks Lilly," was her only reply.

"You should take it easy. No offense, your majesty, but you are not as young anymore," the doctor sighed.

"I appreciate your concern," the queen replied, standing up. "I still have plenty of years left and I intend to make the most of it."

"I'm just saying, this is the age when women settle down, marry and have a couple of kids. I know you took down that tyrant of a king in order to gain your title but you need an heir. There's nothing wrong with just settling down,"

"I'll think about it. Speaking of children, where did that little hero go?" Marceline said looking around.

"He's over there by the stairs with his dog,"

Marceline limped over to the traumatized princess. She gave her a comforting hug and led her to the stairs if the palace. "Shall we meet your hero, princess?" Bonnibelle nodded and allowed herself to led to the stranger.

"Ya hungry Jake?" a high pitched voice said. Barking followed after and then turned to the sound on munching. The queen cleared her throat and the blonde boy stood up straight. His deep dark blue eyes widened in surprise and beef jerky stuck out of his mouth. He quickly noticed this and ripped the meat from his mouth. "Err, your majesties," he said bowing down.

"You saved us today, did you know that?" The queen told him with a smile on her face.

"Oh uhh, I do everything that I can to help others," the boy relied blushing and scratching the back of his head.

"I saw the way you moved against Gunther. I'll admit it; I'm impressed with your skills, especially at your age. Who did you train with?"

"My father, your highness. He's been teaching me for as long as I can remember," the boy replied politely.

"Your father? He must be a great fighter. I would very much like to meet him," the queen wondered out loud.

"You can't. I mean, he's-he's dead. He died when I was eight. It's just been me and Jake since then. We built a tree house in a grassland not too far from here,"

"I'm sorry. Can you please tell us your name, young hero?" the princess asked.

"It's Finn. Finnegan Hunt,"


	2. Disappearance

Chapter 2

Years have passed since the young hero met the princess and the queen. In those years, his name has spread through all of the land as a champion of peace. He has traveled throughout the land of Ooo helping anyone in need. He was friends to all and stopped all evil he came across with even though he's still young. Finn and his golden dog, Jake, were a symbol of hope and peace to all of Ooo. Princesses of different kingdoms have had their eyes on this young hero. Some even asked him to marry them but he's always politely declined. Finn was interested in the Candian princess but she didn't returned his feelings. She said he was 'simply too young.' Despite his heartbreak, he still stayed her friend.

* * *

"Finn! Finn!"

"Coming!" The now fifteen year old yelled back. He got up from his bed filled with fur pelts and climbed down to the door. "Yes? How can I help you?" He yawned,eyes still half-closed. His dark blue eyes widened when he saw that his guest was the strawberry blonde princess of Candia. The princess herself had a slight blush on her cheeks. Finn looked down and turned red. "Oh, I uhh, I'm sorry! Hang on!" He slammed the door and ran back upstairs. On his rush to get the door, he forgot to put on a shirt. "I can't believe I opened the door for the princess half naked. Well, at least I had shorts on," he mumbled to himself his short blonde hair was in a mess. He was looking for his bear eared hat but eventually gave up.

Bonnibelle waited patiently for the master of the tree house to return to the door. When he opened the door earlier, she noticed how much he's grown. With his shirt off, she was able to see his muscle development; from his abdominal muscles, built torso, sculpted chest, toned shoulders and all the way to his muscular arms. He wasn't extremely buff but he was getting there. It must be all this adventuring and fighting bad guys. The door creaked open to reveal now a fully clothed blonde teen.

"I'm very sorry about that princess. I didn't know you were coming," he apologized scratching the back if his head. "So what can I help you with?"

"Finn! I was hoping that you'd be able to lead the security during the Meeting of the Royals of Ooo tomorrow afternoon," Princess Bonnibelle asked politely.

"Of course Peebles! This sounds important. Can you tell me what this meeting is about?"

"The royals and I will be discussing the usual thing; trade routes, alliances, heirs, and other boring stuff. This year, the Candia kingdom will be hosting it so come by around five. The meeting starts at six and I want everything to be taken care of before the other royals arrive."

"You don't have to worry about a thing, my lady," he assured her, bowing slightly.

"Thanks Finn!" The princess said turning round and waving at Finn. She walked towards the the carriage. Sebastian held the door of the pink carriage waiting for the princess. A blonde horse was pulling the carriage as Finn waved them good bye.

Finn went back inside his tree house and collapsed in his bed. It has been a long day of helping others today. He helped the Lake Salt Princess with her party, Queen Marceline asked him to help train some of the knights who were unhappy to have a teenager beat them, and the wolves have been attacking a couple villages. The blonde took off his shirt and threw it to the side and immediately fell asleep. Jake clambered up to the drawer that Finn game him to use as a bed and watched as his master fell asleep.

* * *

"Alright, we're gonna need guards posted on every entrance of the conference room. Also, there should be guards patrolling inside and outside of the castle as well as the streets. We have many royals coming to this meeting and security needs to be tight. Mr. Peppermint here will show you all your posts," Finn said to all the knights before him. Each kingdom sent a group of soldiers ahead to take part in securing this meeting. Knights in different colored armor gathered before the teenager, knowing of his heroic deeds and fighting ability, they all respected him. They had listened to his words and followed his orders. The knights scrambled after the princess's butler gave them their positions.

Finn sighed up on the podium. "How long is the conference Peppermint Butler?"

"It shouldn't take too long. It all depends on the issues that are brought up,"

The young hero nodded and walked out of the castle, his blonde locks flowing gently with the wind. Jake stayed by his side the whole time and sat with his master when he sat down on the front stairs. Finn was wearing his usual light blue shirt with a white hood with bear ears under a chest plate of impenetrable silver. His arms were sweating under the leather arm guards and gauntlets. Dark blue pants, knee high metal boots and knee guards protected his legs and knees. He started bringing around a green backpack with single strap that ran across his torso. Various weapons, tools, first aid kit, clothes, armor and many other things filled it out. His sword, a blood red sword with large circle hilt rested in its sheath on his belt. The young hero sighed and looked at his dog. "This is gonna be a long day, Jake. Just old people talking about political junk. Here, have some jerky. We need to stay awake for the whole meeting. You never know when someone might pull a sneak attack," he joked, making a face at the dog who barked and wagged his tail. The blonde laughed and fed his dog.

Eight black horses rode up to the palace. Their leader had a red cape flowing in the wind and a gold and silver crown rested on the rider's head. A red and black blade bounced on the rider's hip bearing the Abadeer coat of arms while blood red axe rested on the rider's back. They stopped in the front steps of the palace and the beaming teenager.

"Marcey!" Finn exclaimed, then remembered his manners. "I mean, Queen Marceline. Welcome, your majesty," he corrected, kneeling before the warrior queen.

"Haha, there's no need for formalities. I respect you as much as you respect me. I want you to treat me as an equal. As a friend," the Queen of the Night o'Sphere replied to the teen and ruffling his hair.

"You're a queen. I am knight that must treat you like the queen you are, with respect and politeness," Finn replied.

"A warrior queen,"

"Still a queen. Also, you're here early."

"I wanted a head start," the queen replied and climbed the stairs with her men following behind.

* * *

"The Meeting of the royals of Ooo will now begin," Peppermint announced, calling all the royals' attention.

They sat around the table. Each of the royals, except for the Ice King and his allies, had their personal knights standing respectfully behind them. Finn stood guard on the main entrance of the room, scanning the royals. All of them were dressed in their best in order to gain respect of each other. In a clockwise motion, they began greeting, introduction and then their issues. It went on like this for hours. They talked about politics, new laws and someone even proposed to another royal to bring their kingdoms together.

Finn was about ready to fall asleep when all the monarchs stood up. The hero stood up straight as they filed out of the room. A yellow knight came running into the room and immediately collapsed. A dagger stuck out of his back. The knights protected their monarchs as Finn and Jake raced to the yellow knight's killer. Finn was an incredible runner and was able to keep up with his dog with just two legs. Despite his inhuman speed, the hooded figure was able to stay ahead. Finn followed the stranger out of the castle and into the streets where civilians gasped in shock. "Go to the palace! You'll be safe there!" Finn yelled at them over his shoulders. He spotted some knights and commanded "Get back to the castle and protect everyone!" He saw the knights run in the opposite direction from corner of his blue eyes.

The hooded stranger led them out of the kingdom. Finn managed to get his crossbow from his backpack and load it without losing speed. He fired an arrow but missed because his target just entered the woods. The teen cursed under his breath and put the crossbow away. He pulled his sword out without losing sight of the hooded stranger. The chase continued through the dark forest. Fatigue finally started to get to Finn as the trees grew denser. The sunlight had a hard time penetrating through the leaves. Finn slowed to a jog when he lost sight of his target. He sat down on a rock and leaned on his sword. He took a drink from his deerskin pouch of water. Jake sniffed around, trying to find their target's scent. After a couple minutes of sniffing circles around his master, the golden dog whined and laid his head on the blonde's lap. "Yeah we should probably go back. There's no use in chasing something we can't find. Besides, it's getting dark. Good job though," he said to the puppy eyes his loyal dog and best friend gave him.

* * *

"What on in the name Glob happened?" The warrior queen demanded when the knights filled the conference rooms. All the royals were sitting down except for the Queen of the Night o'Sphere.

The knights cowered under the death glare that the black haired queen. "Well!?" She screamed putting her hands on her hips.

"It was one of the assassins from the Guild of Assassins," one of Candia's knights stepped forward.

"Assassins?" The queen repeated shocked.

"The assassin could've been after anyone of us," the princess added.

"But they came no where near this room. So who were they after?" The queen wondered out loud. "Why did all of you come in here instead of chasing down this assassin?"

"We were commanded to come back here and protect you by sir Finn," one if the knights replied.

"Hmm.. Finn! Why did you- Finn? Finn! Where is that boy?" Marceline asked looking around.

"He chased after the assassin, your majesty,"

"Queen Marceline!" Sebastian called towards the Night Queen.

"Yes? What is it?"

"This was the knife that claimed the life of Sir Atticus. He came running here in order to protect the target but was unable to tell anyone who the target was. There appears to be a note inside the hilt but I am unable to retrieve it," the butler informed politely as he presented a dagger of about eight inches with a glass hilt. The Guild of Assassins crest shone proudly on the blade itself. The queen took the dagger and stabbed it in the table. Then she drew her axe from back and brought it down on the glass hilt. The glass casing broke and a note with a single sentence unfolded before the obsidian eyes of the queen.

"'You will no longer be in my way, young hero'," Princess Bubblegum read aloud. "Oh no! They were after Finn all along!" she gasped.

"And he chased after him. This Guild is notorious, all professionals. Finn might not be able to win this one," the queen added grimly. "My knights and I will follow them. If any of you other knights are willing to help us then please get ready. I hope we are not too late."

* * *

Finn stood up and stretched. "It was a nice run though. Want some jerky Jake?" The dog barked and wagged its tail in an incredible speed. "Haha ha. Here you go," the blonde laughed and tossed the leathery meat to his canine companion. Jake happily chewed on his treat then suddenly his ears shot up. Thanks to his sharp senses, Finn also heard a sound. He whipped around and had his sword ready in his hand. Jake started barking as a tiny dot of light appeared in the middle of all the darkness. The light danced around as if trying to get the attention of someone. "Hello?" Finn asked curiously. The light was either his target or someone lost in the forest. It didn't matter since he had to go check it out. He made his way closer to the bobbing orb of light. A twig snapped to his right and he pointed his sword in that direction. 'Crud, I forgot to pack a lantern,' he thought to himself as he squinted his eyes. He tumbled after the light like a lost puppy.

The light stopped in the middle of a clearing. Jake stood a couple feet away from it, barking. Ancient, stone pillars lined the edges of the clearing, circling around the orb of light. A couple were knocked over and some were in two, but all were worn down from time and erosion. Before Finn could step into the clearing, he heard the rustling of leaves in the tree above him. Years of fighting and adventuring told him this was nothing good and he dove out of the way. Jake saw his master dive out of sight and a different but familiar scent hit his nose. Finn heard a low, loud growl and the sound of someone hitting the ground. Finn saw his dog's golden fur and a familiar figure thrashing around on the ground. Jake was sent flying by the person's foot and was knocked unconscious. His master saw this and set his eyes on his target, the one that led them into the forest. The orb was slowly pulsing white light from the clearing. Finn noticed that this person was a man that towered about six feet and two inches. He had a scar over his right eye and short black hair. Finn himself is only about five feet and six inches, and this guy had a lot of bulging muscles. He was in for a rough fight.

The man suddenly started laughing. "Finnegan Hunt, son of the great Alexander Hunt. That dog over there is the son of his dog, Joshua, isn't he?"

Finn flinched as anger boiled inside him. How on Ooo did this man know about his father? "Just who are you? Who are you after?" Finn screamed at the man and raising his sword in a defensive stance.

"You may not know me, but you know my apprentice. You stopped him from passing his assassin's exam," the man laughed.

"You're Me-mow's master?" The blonde asked, recalling the memories of the assassination attempt on princess Angela Wildberry by a small boy.

"That's right. He wanted this mission, this target. I would've let him too but he's too weak for this mission," the man sneered.

"You guys are gutless. Target princesses when they're vulnerable!" The teen retorted.

"We target anyone we need to,"

"I will protect all the monarchs from your stupid guild,"

"How very noble of you, little boy," the assassin said, enjoying the anger that flashed through the teen's eyes at his insult. "But who is going to protect you!?" He lunged at the Finn when the pulsing light dimmed for a second. Finn, knowing the tricks of an assassin with his run in with Me-mow, was ready and charged at the man. The champion of Ooo and the master assassin clashed against together in an epic battle. Sparks from their clashing blades illuminated the uneven terrain of the forest as the orb pulsed faster. Echoes of metal hitting metal, grunts and panting could be heard. The two forces were equally matched but fatigue from the chase began to take its toll. The man's movements slowed just as Finn's armor and back pack began to weight him down. They paused, staring each other down. Finn made the next move. He threw his sword blood red sword at the assassin who deflected it, sending it straight into the the center of the clearing, right under the pulsing light. Finn anticipated this and waited for the right time. 'Remember son, you are at your most vulnerable when attacking,' Finn remembered his father's words when he tackled his enemy as soon as he heard the sound of metal hitting metal. Jake woke up as soon as they landed in a thud and the assassin quickly kicked the teen off of him and into the clearing.

As soon as Fin hit the ground, the light stopped pulsing and shined incredibly bright, blinding the two humans and the dog. After his sight adjusted, Finn saw inscriptions on the ground started to pulse just like the orb did seconds before. He heard a masculine grunt and a growl. Jake jumped the assassin again, whose eyes just adjusted. Deep blue eyes fell on the sword of the center clearing. He dived for it as the assassin shoved the dog away from him. He saw the blonde dive for his weapon and jumped into the clearing to finish his mission. Finn stood up and faced his enemy as his fingers wrapped around the hilt of his father's memento. When the assassin passed the line stone pillars, the light stopped him in mid air. His roars of pain turned to screams of agony when Finn was blinded by the light and felt wind engulf him in its clutches.

* * *

Marceline led the knights tho the edge of the Dark Forest then dismounted. She followed the tracks of Finn's metal boots into the forest. She noticed an arrow lodges within the bark if a tree and approached it. 'This is one of the arrows I gave Finn for his birthday a couple months ago,' the queen thought to herself. "Your majesty!" One of her knights called to her and pointed to the ground. "They went this way, the ground is disturbed and the leaves and twigs look as if someone ran into them in great hurry," the knight explained as his queen approached. The monarch only nodded and started running down the path with her axe in her hand. The knights followed the Queen of the Night o'Sphere deeper and deeper into the forest. The monarch quickened her pace when she heard the clashing of metal and the barking of a dog. She stopped when she was blinded a bright light coming from the heart of the forest itself. When her aging eyesight adjusted, Marceline saw Finn reach for the sword as the assassin jumped at him. The teen's dark blue eyes widened when the man started screaming in mid air.

As soon as Finn's finger touched the sword, winds in incomprehensible speed blew the knights away, the queen swung her axe deep into the earth and used it as an anchor. Wind and light caused her eye lids to close and protect the obsidian orbs within. She heard trees get uprooted by the incredible winds and prayed to Glob that her ancestors' axe would keep her from flying to her death. The winds stopped as fast as it started. Marceline opened her eyes and gasped as an ancient giant of a tree barely missed her. From the way that these forest giants fell, the queen noted that the winds blew in the direction away from were the young hero was. She freed the axe from its embedded position in the earth and ran to where she last saw the blonde, screaming "Finn!" The monarchs legs slowed as she saw a golden dog limp from the natural debris towards the clearing. The stone pillars remained in their positions as did the blood red sword of the great hero, Alexander Hunt and his son. Jake whined with every pained limp he took towards his master's prized possession. He sniffed around it then let out a howl of anguish and pain. He couldn't find the scent of his beloved master. His howls of pain, loneliness, defeat and guilt echoed to the quiet corners of Ooo. He was supposed to be in his master's side, always. Now he couldn't find him. The loyal companion of Ooo's champion remembered the ever present smile on his master's face as he collapsed from the chase, the fight, the loss of his best friend and the tree bark that has embedded itself in his stomach.


	3. To Arms

Chapter 3

There is a path in within the Dark Forest. It is the only path in the whole area of the woods. It's not just some ordinary dirt path, it was a solid concrete path with stone arches every now and then. Never ending blue fired torches provided light in all hours of the day. This path was ordered to be created by Marceline, the warrior queen of the Night o'Sphere, herself, in honor of a great hero. Legend says that ten years ago, the great hero, Finnegan Hunt, son of Alexander Hunt the great, fearlessly chased the Master Assassin, Xerxes. The fifteen year old immediately engaged the most notorious and dangerous man on Ooo in an epic battle with his loyal dog by his side. The assassin was killed but the hero disappeared immediately after.

If one followed the path, it would led them straight to the heart of the forest. They would see a clearing at the end of the path. A clearing outlined by ancient stone pillars and a blood red sword in the middle rumored to pulse with a glowing light, representing the heartbeat of Ooo itself. They will also see a a statue of a dog made of pure gold, standing guard over the sword. They say that for the first six years the hero went missing, his loyal dog would limp from the Tree Fort, the former home of Finnegan Hunt, to the blood sword everyday and protect from those who tried to steal it. Everyday, a knight from the night o'Sphere would walk the path and make sure no one disturbs the hero's memorial and to bring food to the dog. The Candia princess, Bonnibelle, has tried to get the dog to live in her palace but he would always go to the sword and wait for his master. Jake the dog passed away because the wound from the battle finally claimed him, despite Doctor Cream's efforts to help him.

Chaos had no one to contain it. Ice King has captured many princesses. Thankfully, he wants to capture all of them before he can decide which one he wants to marry. The warrior queen has protected two of the three remaining princesses; Princess Bubblegum and the doctor princess, Lillian Cream. The third princess was Fiamette Fyre of the blacksmithing kingdom. The Fyre kingdom was built on a volcano. The villagers lived in homes made of conglomerate around the opening and the inside walls of the volcano. The castle sat on top of the molten lava itself, some say that the obsidian fortress that housed the Fyre monarchs looked as if it was floating in a sea of fire.

The Ice King, who's kingdom was built in the frozen spires of the mountains of the Frost Giants, wanted nothing to do with King Kyzard and his Kingdom. No one knew why he avoided the blacksmithing kingdom. Even the Night o'Sphere Queen has tried to get the answer out of him in their various encounters but he always kept his mouth shut then retreated. Besides kidnapping princesses, the Ice king has made powerful allies and grows stronger each passing day. The Earl of Lemongrab, the uncle of princess Bubblegum, has sided with him and providing valuable information on the Candia kingdom.

* * *

It has been three weeks since King Petrikov has done anything and queen Marceline is on edge. She along with the Candia princess and Sebastian are on their way to meet the Fyre monarch. Though he was part of the alliance, he never fully participated in bringing down the Ice tyrant. Sure he would send some soldiers to their fights and weapons for the other kingdoms but he never attended meetings discussing plans. This morning, they got a message from the king saying that he has found something that would take down the Ice king, something that requires their attention.

Queen Marceline and Princess Bubblegum, along with Peppermint and a couple knights, rode through the blacksmithing village. Strong men and women walked the street and greeted them politely. "Is everyone here a blacksmith, Sebastian? They're all muscularly built, even the women," Bonnibelle whispered to her brown haired butler of forty eight.

"Yes you majesty, over seventy-five percent of weapons in Ooo come from the Fyre kingdom. The fact that the village itself is located on a volcano helps with this," he replied to the twenty nine year old princess.

"That's right. The king, Kyzard Fyre II, helped me kill the previous king of the Night and claim my throne. That war took almost a year and I stayed in those obsidian walls the whole time until he fell. The reason they are so successful with blacksmithing is because a couple hundred years ago, the son of the founder of this kingdom, was a able to design an irrigation system delivered the molten lava to just about anywhere in the village. It's great for making weapons and an almost perfect security system," the warrior queen informed from atop her black horse as the Candia ruler let the new information settle into her head. She looked up to the spire that jutted out from the opening of the volcano

The royal entourage finally made to the top of the volcano. The sight before them made Bonnibelle gasp as a playful smile appeared in Marceline's face. There, in the middle of the sea of molten lava, was a fortress of impenetrable obsidian. The lava itself only came up to halfway up the mountain. The castle sat on top of it and it's highest tower reached past the volcano's mouth. On the inner walls of the volcano were covered by an elaborate system of pulleys, metal pipes and walkways. A buzz of voices came from the workers as sounds of hammers hitting metal echoed in the interior of the mountain. Bonnibelle opened her mouth, about to unleash a hundred questions when a man wearing silver colored armor with golden flames embroidered around it came up to them with open arms. "Welcome Princess Bonnibelle Bubblegum and Queen Marceline Abadeer, welcome back," he greeted, bowing as the female monarchs and their men dismounted. "Please follow me to the throne room," he said.

"How much has changed since I was last here, Sir Flambo?" Queen Marceline asked as they ascended up the stairs to the castle.

"Well it has been a long time since your last visit. We have received gifts and letters from you but you know the king. He prefers an actual meeting, face to face,"

"I see, he really hasn't changed much then," she chuckled.

"No not really," Sir Flambo chuckled in response.

As the elders conversed, the strawberry blonde's eyes wandered around the halls. Portraits of previous Fyre monarchs lined the hallways, looking down to her. The obsidian castle resembled the volcano in many ways. Outer walls made of rock while the inside glowed orange. Bronze pillars held up an orange looking ceiling. The walls could've been white but the magma's glow from the outside definitely made look orange. Flambo led them to a pair of large double doors made of red rock. It took two of the Fyre Kingdom's knights to open the each door. As the doors opened, it revealed the king who welcomed them with open arms. Like Marceline, he was wearing armor but instead of a black and red design, golden flames covered the bottom half of his chest plate. Shoulder pads with horns jutting out of them protected his shoulders as his metal boots clicked with importance. His brown hair fell to his shoulders and beard of the same color came from his chin.

He approached the other two monarchs and embraced the Night o'Sphere queen. "Haha Marceline. It has been way too long! I hope your kingdom, or should I say queendom is doing well?"

"Kyzard, it has been too long. Yes, again I cannot thank you enough for helping me take down that king. If he remained with the crown longer, the Ice King would fail in comparison to him. I apologize that I have not been able to visit before now," the warrior queen returned.

"It's no problem at all. You had a whole kingdom in chaos and the former Night o'Shere's kings' supporters to worry about. To be honest, it is remarkable that you were able to pull the kingdom out of anarchy and bring them to its current glory. I applaud thee, Queen Marceline," the Fyre king said bowing slightly. "And you must be the young princess Bonnibelle," he said, noticing the Candia monarch.

"Yes, your majesty," she politely returned, curtsying a little.

"There's no need for that, you are among equals,"

"Thank you,"

"You resemble your mother very much. I was there when your mother gave birth to you," he told her as her eyes widened in surprise. She never knew that her parents met the Fyre Monarch. "I did everything I can to calm your father down but he couldn't stand still," he chuckled. The king was too busy to notice that the princess's eyes began to water before she shut them tight but the queen did.

"Kyzard, you said that you had something on Petrikov?' Marceline asked, getting right to business.

"Yes and your young hero too," both females stiffened at the mention of their old friend. "If you would please follow me," he stated as he led them out his throne room and to a small library. Young hero? Does he mean Finn? It's been ten years since his strange disappearance at the heart of the Dark Forest. No one has mentioned his name for a decade. What does he mean that he has something on him? These thoughts raced through her head when a girl came in the door. "Ah, Marceline, I don't think you've met my daughter have you? This is Fiamette, my little Flame Princess," Kyzard said, putting his arms around his daughter.

Fiamette was a couple years younger than Bonnibelle, about the same age as Finn would be, maybe even younger. Long, wavy brownish orange hair cascaded down her back and soft brown eyes stared at the guests of the Fyre Kingdom. She was wearing a sleeveless orange dress that fell down to her ankles, a large ribbon was tied on her back as lace added a decorative layer to her dress. Frills covered her chest as the sides of her dress hugged her curves. A crown with a red gem encircled her head.

"It is very nice to meet you, Princess Fiamette,"

"Likewise, Queen Marceline," she returned.

"I am Princess Bonnibelle of the Candia Kingdom. It is a pleasure," Bonnibelle curtsied.

"It is an honor," Fiamette returned.

"Kyzard. Please don't keep us in the dark. What dirt do you have on the Ice King and Finn?"

"I guess I've kept you in the dark long enough. My men have discovered a small cave deep underground, surrounded by a forest approximately seventy-six miles north from the base of Simon's mountain," the King started.

"Excuse me, my lord but would that happen to be the same forest where his wife was rumored to have disappeared?" Sebastian asked.

"Don't tell me you found the queen of the Ice Kingdom!?" Marceline exclaimed.

"Yes, well her remains anyways. At least I'm pretty sure she's no longer alive," the king said sitting down on an armchair in the center of the room. Marceline took the arms chair across from him while the two princess sat on the couch.

"You mean you can't tell whether a person is dead or alive?"

"Well she's frozen in a block of ice, still wearing a beautiful dress and still the young woman that the Ice tyrant fell for. We tried to break the ice to get her out but not even a bucket of molten lava would get us to Betty Petrikov. Now I believe that it is some what linked to young Hunt,"

"How is that related to Finn?"

"If one was to look into the ice close enough, you would see markings on the wall of permafrost. Markings, scriptures rather, similar to those of the site where Hunt disappeared," Kyzard informed.

"Finn disappeared in the heart of the Dark Forest, the forest where strange stories have hailed from. Where the legendary Billy first took down the Lich, where Finn defeated him again years later, where his well of power resides," the queen thought out loud.

"I have done research on those markings," Bonnibelle voiced. "I read from Sir Billy's journal that those markings at the heart of the forest and possibly those encasing the Petrikov queen are the same ones from the Lich's well."

"So the lost, now found ice queen, the legendary Billy, the Loch, and the hero, Finn are somehow involved with those strange markings?" Fiamette questioned.

"So it would seem, my daughter," the king said as silence dominated the air.

"Princess, would you happen to have a copy of those markings on your persona?" Fiamette asked, breaking the heavy silence.

"No but Sebastian would," Bonnibelle answered as her butler produced a small journal from his inside jacket pocket. He walked over to the Fyre Princess, bowed and presented it to her.

"This, my lady, is the journal of the legendary Billy," he informed.

Fiamette took the small, ancient leather book from the butler and carefully leafed through it's parchment pages. "Are these markings the ones you were referring to?" she asked Bonnibelle and showing her a page halfway through the book.

"Yes, I wouldn't say that they are the exact same ones, just similar. Perhaps the same language?"

"Yes, it is latin. Unfortunately, I cannot read this but I can recognize it as that ancient language,"

"Latin? Your mother taught you that didn't she?" The king intruded.

"Uhh, yes," Fiamette said, bowing her head to hide her teary eyes.

"The fire queen? That's right, I haven't seen Melissa around. Is she...?" Marceline began.

"She died giving birth to a child a couple years ago. The child died along with her," the king answered as he closed his eyes.

"I'm sorry Kyzard," Marceline whispered and another heavy silence fell between the monarchs.

Bonnibelle broke the silence after a couple minutes. "Would it be possible for you to take us to the resting place of the ice queen?"

"Of course but it will have to wait until tomorrow. You may not notice but it is already noon. If we leave now, we will arrive there at dusk and I would rather not have to travel through the woods in the dark," Kyzard answered.

"May we spend the night here?" the queen asked.

"Of course, let me show you to your rooms," he replied as he moved to stand. His bones cracked, showing his age, and he fell back to his seat. He was even older than Marceline herself.

"Allow me, father," Fiamette said standing up. The king nodded as a couple maids and a butler ran to help him. The female monarchs left the room, followed by the Candia Butler.

"Sebastian?"

"Yes, my lady?"

"Could you return to Candia? You are the only one I trust to watch over the kingdom in my absence. I don't want the kingdom to stay too long without a leader. I will return as soon as I am done examine the resting place of the Ice Queen," Bonnibelle asked.

"Of course princess," Sebastian bowed and left immediately.

"These will be your rooms. This one and that. I will come back in an hour if you'd like a tour of the castle," Fiamette offered.

"I would love that, thank you," Bonnibelle exclaimed.

"This palace was once a home a to me," Marceline said as memories came back to her. "I'll pass on that tour but i do appreciate the offer. For now I will need my rest." Fiamette nodded and walked away as the female monarchs entered their respective rooms.

Bonnibelle heard the sounds of Marceline's armour hitting the ground and then silence. 'She must be asleep already. I wonder how old she is. Will it offend her if I asked?' Bonnibelle threw this idea around when she noticed her reflection on the mirror. Her strawberry blonde hair fell passed her waist. She now stood five feet, seven inches, light green eyes and wore a lacy dress of pink. A crown encircled her head and a green gem was raised by small section of the crown. The dress had puffy sleeves but hugged her thin frame. Ribbons circled around her waist as her straight hair swished with her every move. She wasn't as curvy as the Flame princess but she was beautiful nonetheless. A knock on her door interrupted her thoughts.

"Princess Bonnibelle? It's Fiamette. May I come in?"

"Of course," the door knob turned and the flame princess came in.

"Would you still like to tour to the Castle? We have about an hour until dinner, I'm sure we can cover most of the castle by then," she said with a soft smile.

"Yes, it is always a pleasure to see the wonders of castle," Bonnibelle giggled. She followed Fiamette out of the room. For the next hour, Bonnibelle learned about the features of the obsidian castle. They passed by various rooms of weapons, relics, and ancient tomes. The Candia princess was extremely fascinated by the castles library whose giant bookshelves reached forty feet high. Fiamette also depicted tales of the Fyre Kingdoms ancient histories. She told tales of heroes, legends, villains, war. The two princesses particularly enjoyed and giggled at the stories of romance. In return, Bonnibelle entertained Fiamette with stories of her own kingdom as well as the many adventures of Finn and his dog, Jake.

"Haha. I've heard many stories about the young hero," Fiamette started after hearing the story of how Finn tried to teach a bear how to dance and do other human functions. "Were the two of you close?"

"Yes. Only as friends though. I don't mean to be blunt but he is way too young for me. He is a sweet friend though," Bonnibelle said quickly as strange weight built up in her chest.

"If you don't mind me asking, could possibly tell me how he disappeared?"

The strawberry blonde princess stopped in her tracks. She sighed and looked at the flame princess with sad eyes. "Unfortunately, we do not know exactly how he disappeared. Queen Marceline was the last living organism to see the hero before he disappeared. She described his disappearance as 'hurricane winds sweeping away Ooo's champion of peace',"

"I'm sorry for asking that question, I know it is painful. Thank you for answering," Fiamette whispered, bowing slightly to the elder.

"Oh no, don't apologize. It's quite alright actually. He is the hero of Ooo and as one of its monarchs and citizens, you have the right to know," Bonnibelle consoled.

"Dinner is ready, my ladies," Sir Flambo appeared behind them and bowed. The princesses followed him the dining area of the castle. A massive table sat in the center and magnificent diamond chandelier hung above it. King Kyzard sat at the head of the table with Queen Marceline on his left. Fiamette took the seat by her father and Bonnibelle took the sat by the warrior queen. Sir Flambo sat next to his princess as butlers and maids came and served the monarchs. Clanking of silverware and small chatter passed through the table. Right before dessert was served, a messenger, the same one sent to the female monarchs, burst through the doors and immediately collapsed to his knees.

"Forgive me , you majesties," he panted before the royals. "I message from the Candia royal butler has come for Princess Bubblegum and Queen Marceline!"

"Sebastian?" Bonnibelle whispered in shock. She knows that he was more than capable of running the kingdom, did something happen?

Marceline stood up and made her way to the messenger but Bonnibelle sprinted passed her and asked for the message. The messenger presented her with a note that hastily written:

'Candia is under attack! Ice king invaded with his legion. We are doing or best to keep them from crossing the borders but we cannot hold them for long. Our forces are dwindling but Ice King boasted his plan. He will take doctor princess as the Earl of Lemongrab and the Crystal King invades the Fyre Kingdom with their legions to capture the remaining princesses. Please be safe princess, do not worry about us. I have sent for help from the other kingdoms and they are on their way. Stay safe princess.'


	4. Fight or Flight

Chapter 4

"Kyzard! The Earl of Lemongrab and the Crystal king are on their way here with their legions!" Marceline screamed after reading the note.

"What?" The Fyre monarch roared. "Flambo! Ready the army! Marceline, it would be best for you to secretly take the two princesses to the Night o'Sphere and hide them there. Then return with your forces. The betrayal of the Ice King and his allies will end here," he ordered as Flambo scrambled to carry out his orders.

"Daddy no!" Fiamette pleaded and grabbing her father's arm.

"No. You have leave. I will not lose you him. We will succeed, do not worry my child," he said pulling his daughter into a hug. "Now go, go with Bonnibelle and you two stay safe. May Glob protect you my daughter."

"May Glob protect you father," Fiamette returned and followed the warrior queen. A butler led them to the back of the castle where a maid waited for cloaks to hide the female monarchs.

"He would probably expect us to use the back door," Fiamette panted out as she wrapped the cloak around her, hiding everything she can. "Follow me, I know a secret passageway this way!" She led them through the hall and down to the dungeons. They reached the end of the hall and entered an empty cell with broken gate. She pushed on a brick and part of the wall opened up. The princesses ran through then Marceline closed it back up. They made their way through metal workings of the blacksmithing kingdom. The Fyre citizens have already been informed of the imminent threat and prepared themselves. Various weapons were everywhere, blockades were set up as armor was passed around. They came to the edge to the village where Sir Flambo stood waiting with horses.

"These are the fastest horses we can offer," he said handing them the reins. "Ride swiftly and safe my ladies," he said and ran back to the village. The three of them mounted their horses and rode towards the forest on the eastern base of the volcano. Bonnibelle, having been to Marceline's castle many times before, led the way with Fiamette right behind her. Marceline brought up the rear as the three of them made their way through the forest the ran along the valley separating the Night o'Sphere from the Fyre Kingdom. They slowed down only to stare in awe at the massive army.

Five hours later, they rode through the black marble gates and into the castle. The midnight sky has set. The black armoured knights stood there, waiting for their warrior queen. "Welcome back, my queen," they all said unison.

"Men, knights, heroes of the Night o'Sphere," Marceline announced. "The Ice King has unleashed his fury. He has led his legion to the borders of Candia as the Earl of Lemongrab and the Crystal King are on their way to the Fyre kingdom." She unmounted and the princesses followed her lead. She stood before her legion as the true warrior queen. "It was Kyzard that aided us in the fight against the former king of this kingdom. Now, it is our turn to aid him in taking down another tyrant that walks the land of Ooo. Today is day that Simon Petrikov will fall along with those fools who joined him. Ride with me! My fellow fighters! My allies, my friends, my brothers!" Marceline thundered and raised her battle axe to the sky. The knights of the Night o'Sphere raised their own weapons and cheered. The queen turned to one of the butler's that appeared as soon as she jumped off her horse. "Take the princesses inside. I want them taken care of and kept indoors. They are the ones being targeted. No one is allowed inside or outside of the castle walls. I want security everywhere," she whispered under her breath.

"Yes, your majesty," the butler nodded and turned towards the princesses. "Right this way, princess Bubblegum and princess Fiamette."

"Stay here," the warrior queen whispered to the two princesses. "You will be safe here. Stay within the castle walls."

The princesses nodded and followed the butler as Marceline mounted the brown mustang. She turned to her army and raised the shield that a butler presented to her that bore the Abadeer Crest. The knights of the Night o'Sphere, some of the greatest fighters in all of Ooo, raised their own weapons above their heads and followed their Queen back to the Fyre Kingdom.

* * *

"This way, your majesties," the Night o'Sphere butler informed formally to the young female monarchs.

"Thank you," Bonnibelle said politely. "Please tell me your name, sir."

"My name is Hambo. I am the head butler of the Abadeer castle. Her majesty, the Queen, freed me from the former king's dungeon and I in return, led her to where she had her final battle with him," the gray haired, yet young looking man. "Here we are. The queen insisted that you two share a room. It would be very comforting for both of you. Now, I am sorry but I must excuse myself. There are many things to be taken care while the queen is fighting. Please make yourselves at home and if you anything, please don't hesitate to ask." Hambo bowed and left the the two princesses in the room.

A queen sized four poster bed with fluffy velvet sheets and giant matching pillows was surrounded by thin black curtains. The room had shiny black furniture with rich red carpet and walls. A maroon rug with an intricate silver design separated the bed from the door.

Ideas, thoughts, and plans raced through Bonnibelle's mind. She knew that Sebastian and her knights were capable of defending Candia and with the allies coming, they should be able to finally take down the Ice King. Sniffles from the bed interrupted her thoughts. Fiamette was sitting on the fluffy blankets and turned away, trying to hide her tearful eyes behind her brownish orange locks. "It's going to be okay Fiamette."

"With all due respect, Princess Bonnibelle, but how can you be so calm when your kingdom is being attacked?"

Bonnibelle paused silently and let waves of worry, stress and fear course through her body. She shook her head. "Because, I know that they will win. The allies will take down the Ice King. Your father and Marceline are the some of the greatest monarchs history has ever seen. They'll take down the Crystal King and the Earl of Lemongrab."

Fiamette bowed her head. The tears have stopped falling but they were still there. She stood up and looked out the window. "We can't just sit here in do nothing," she sighed.

"How about we check on Betty Petrikov? I want to see those scriptures," Bonnibelle suggested. A small spark appeared in Fiamette's eyes as a small smile spread through her face. She took out a small journal from her cloak. The two princesses knew what they were about to do. They grabbed their cloaks made their way through the castle and its staff. There weren't many soldiers left because of the oncoming battle. Bonnibelle and Fiamette easily made their way passed them for they were only concerned with anyone coming in to the castle grounds, not out. The two soon reached the forest and towards the Ice Kingdom.

* * *

The Grasslands separated the Fyre Kingdom from the Petrikov Kingdom. To the east was the Forest of Tales where the Tree Fort, former home of Finn the Hero, could be seen from the Grasslands. It also led to memorial within the Dark Forest. The blood red sword off Ooo's champion glowed and pulsed. The first rays of the sun appeared. It reflected off the golden statue of Jake the Dog. No guard was found anywhere near the the memorial of the hero. No eyes saw the pulsing of the crimson sword quicken as the legion of Kyrzard Fyre stared at the massive force before him. The Fyre King himself glared at the Crystal King who was wearing a full on suit of armor. Even though he couldn't see the enemy's eyes, he knew that they were staring at him.

"Flambo! Any sign of Marceline?" The king barked out.

"The scouts have met with the Queen of the Night o'Sphere. They have reported that she will arrive within the hour!" His knight returned.

"Aha ha! If she doesn't hurry up, she'll miss out on destroying the Ice King's allies." The king chuckled. A horn echoed through the valley, echoing from the enemy's side. Flambo and Kyzard watched as the enemy soldiers scrambled to their positions, gathering weapons and mounting horses.

"Sir?"

"It's time to end this, once and for all. Sound the horn, Sir Flambo, for after today, Simon's reign will end."

Flambo took the twisted horn that hung on his belt and placed it on his lips. At the sound of the resonating tone, the warriors of the blacksmithing kingdom scrambled to formation. In less than three minutes, the knights of both kingdoms had their weapons pointed at their enemies, waiting to follow their kings to the battle field. Kyzard turned to his men. Archers, horsemen, spearmen, swordsmen and lancers looked up at him with determination and bravery in their eyes.

"Heroes of the Fyre Kingdom! Yesterday, Ice King invaded the Candia Kingdom and now his allies has come to challenge us! That Ice coward cannot handle the heat that our weapons were borne from! He trembles in fear behind the Earl of Lemongrab and the Crystal King. Today, we will show him and his allies the power of our blacksmithing and our pride! Today, we will march up his frozen mountain kingdom and melt it TO THE GROUND!" His soldiers roared, anxious to start fighting. The king turned around and glanced at the giant tree house, barely visible to his right. "Finn, wherever you are, pray that the princesses are safe and Petrikov be taken down," he whispered under his breath. In the back of his mind, he urged for Marceline to hurry for there is no way that his legion will successfully take down two others with minimal casualties. While Kyzard gave his speech, he and the other king sent their right hand Knight to the center. Flambo and a silver armored knight of the the Crystal Kingdom met at the center of the grasslands.

"You know our conditions, Fyre Knight. Surrender the Candia Princess and the Flame Princess and we shall spare your village," the Crystal knight said from behind his helmet.

"And you know ours, either join us in taking down the Ice Tyrant, Simon Petrikov, or fall with him," Flambo answered. The two knights had a mutual understanding and rode back to their kings.

"Stubborn as ever," Flambo whispered to his king as his horse trotted up to the monarch's.

Kyzard swore under his breath. "Then they are fools. Prepare to march."

Suddenly, a cacophony of roars erupted from the enemy lines as they charged. Kyzard's soldiers returned the roar and charged at their king's signal. As the foot soldiers charged, archers unleashed hundreds of arrows into the sky. Unfortunately, they were unable to penetrate the crystalline infused armor of their enemies. "Aim for their joints! Where the armor is weakest! Take down their unarmored horses!" Kyzard roared from behind.

Just as the front lines were about to clash, a roar from the forest, close to the rear of the crystal army, erupted from the forest sending flocks of startled birds into the air. Night arrows, though visible during the day, rained down on the Crystal King's army. Some found the joints of the enemies' armor while others embedded themselves in the horses. The Night o'Sphere's infamous Shadow Regiment manifested from the trees and struck the right flank of the enemy.

The Fyre Knights hacked away in the front lines as Shadow Regiment took down the right flank. King Kyzard drew the sword of his forefathers and joined the enemy lines himself. Upon seeing the Fyre monarch charge into the battle, the Crystal King drove his horse towards him. Before he even reached the soldiers, a red axe swung at him out of no where.

"Let's end this once and for all, Crystal King," Warrior Queen Marceline hissed.

"King? Now who are you calling a king?"

"What?"

The Crystal king removed his helmet. Grayish blonde hair fell down to his shoulders and revealed a middle aged face.

"Teresa Trunks!" Marceline exclaimed.

"That's right. That also makes me the Crystal Queen!" Teresa sneered and struck at Marceline who parried it with her axe.

"What happened to you? You were Finn's friend!" Marceline screamed after exchanging a few blows.

"The Crystal family needed someone to give the crown so I volunteered. I tried to get Finn to be my King but he refused," Teresa panted back.

With her left hand, Marceline placed her shield on her back, unsheathed her black sword and swung it towards the other queen. "You disgusting cow! No wonder you are allies with the Ice King!" She yelled continuing her barrage of attacks.

Knights fell as the battle wore on. Kyzard fought by his men, swinging the Fyre kingdom's most prized, strongest and oldest weapon at the enemies. He caught a glimpse of Marceline fighting another woman who was wearing the king's armor. "Is that...Teresa?" He whispered to himself. A Crystal soldier ran to him and he immediately beheaded him. "The enemy is faltering!" He screamed to his allies. "Push on and take them down!" A roar from the soldiers around him replied to his shouting as the Fyre army and the Shadow Regiment pushed the enemy back.

Marceline and Teresa were in a deadlock. They both jumped back then Marceline sent her axe flying towards her enemy. Teresa immediately dodged it and was suddenly knocked down. Her sword was ripped from her hands and the Abadeer family sword was hairs away from her throat. Marceline grabbed the unarmed queen and forced her to stand. "Your Queen is powerless! Surrender and you will be spared by the Fyre King and I!"

"Never!" The Crystal soldiers yelled and continued fighting. Marceline dragged Teresa to the back of her army where wounded soldiers were being treated. She gagged her and tied her up.

"Your soldiers will perish because of you," Marceline spat at her.

"That's the only reason they exist," Teresa rasped back.

Marceline turned away from her, disgusted by her sick mind. The warrior queen barked for her to be under constant surveillance and returned back to the battlefield.

Hours passed and the sun has set. The last of the Crystal knights fell by the King's hands. Hundreds were killed but the Fyre King and Night o'Sphere Queen stood victorious. Soldiers fell back to the medics who rushed everywhere, taking care of all the injured. The two monarchs made their way to the Crystal queen who was tied up and under the watch of Flambo."You've lost, Teresa," Marceline hissed. Something in the back of her mind was distracting her.

"Now, tell us everything you know about the Ice King," Kyzard growled menacingly.

Teresa started laughing. "You both are fools. I know that the princesses are not in your obsidian castle."

"So?" Kyzard retorted as the color drained out of Marceline.

"The Earl of Lemongrab! Where is he?" Marceline demanded. She wondered why they won so easily.

"Spending quality family time with his niece," she laughed as the Night o'Sphere Queen gritted her teeth. "And her new friend, the Fyre princess." Teresa cackled gleefully as rage and frustration coursed through the monarchs. Kyzard shut her up by decapitation and turned to Flambo. "Get every able bodied soldier on horses. We are marching to the Night o'Sphere right now!" He roared.

Soldiers of both the blacksmithing kingdom and the Night o'Sphere grimaced under the grim expressions of their monarchs and went into formation. Most of the Shadow Regiment were still able to fight along with half of Kyzard's legion. In thirty seconds, they raced the wind towards the princesses. "How long is it until we get to your kingdom!" Kyzard screamed over the wind and hooves.

"It took us hours to get here!" Marceline replied.

Kyzard swore under his breath. For all he knew, Lemongrab's legion could've already destroyed Marceline castle. And his daughter...

* * *

Bonnibelle and Fiamette made past the forest and to the hills. "Petrikov's mountain domain should be ahead," the Candia Princess panted.

"There's the forest where our men excavated," Fiamette returned.

"Alright let's go," Bonnibelle replied and began to jog. When she didn't hear the Flame princess behind her, she turned around. Suddenly her hair was grabbed roughly and wretched her head upwards. Tears formed around her eyes and then she saw that Fiamette was in the same situation. She was struggling against her captor who was laughing her.

The Candia princess grabbed her hair and yanked it, catching her captor by surprise. She grabbed his arm and threw him over her shoulder and to Fiamette's holder. Bonnibelle punched them in the face as Fiamette kicked them.

"Where did you learn to do that?" Fiamette asked after they started running again.

"Well I am close friends with the champion of Ooo and the warrior Queen of the Night o'Sphere. I've learned a thing or two about hand to hand combat," she panted back.

A horse leaped right in front of them, stopping them right before the forest once more. "Well, well, well. Long time no see, Bonnibelle," its rider hissed in a high pitched voice. "A princess fighting and running through the forest is UNACCEPTABLE!"

Bonnibelle stared at the yellow haired and pointy nosed man on the horse and gasped, "Lemongrab?"

The man cackled as his legion emerged from behind the trees and surrounded Bonnibelle and Fiamette.


	5. Always, In The Last Second

Chapter 5

Compared to the battle on the valley between King Kyzard and Queen Marceline against the Crystal Queen and the march of Lemongrab's legion, the pulsation of the blood-red sword was not as important. Its rapid beating crescendoed as the sounds of metal hitting metal came from the valley on the western direction. Then, just as King Kyzard and Queen Marceline raced to the Night o'Sphere, the sword's pulsing light shined in a solid light, blinding anyone who would be looking at it. The rays of intensely bright lights reflected off of the golden statue memorial for Jake the Dog.

As quickly as the lights illuminated half of the forest, they instantly disappeared, plunging the trees back to the darkness they were named after. The whole forest was silent, save for the heavy footsteps that darted through the forest ground and the swishing of a cloak heading towards the Night o'Sphere.

* * *

"Lemongrab! Let us go!" Bonnibelle screamed as the Earl's soldiers grabbed the two princesses.

"I don't think so, Bonnibelle," Lemongrab hissed. "You see, the Ice King has plans for the both of you. Don't worry, you will see the other princesses soon."

The princesses of the Candia Kingdom and the Fyre Kingdom were thrown into a closed wooden wagon and were now beating helplessly on the oaken walls. Lemongrab chuckled to himself as the princesses fought helplessly for their freedom from their wooden cage.

"Bonnibelle?" Fiamette panted as she groped through the darkness for the other royal. "Where are you?"

"Right here," the Candia royal's voice came from her left. "I don't supposed you have a plan to get us out of here."

"Out of this wagon, yes I do," the Fyre princess answered. "But as for the soldiers that we will have to face once these forsaken wooden walls fall, I'm not so sure."

Bonnibelle sighed. "Perhaps we will have the element of surprise with us. Please do tell me about your plan to get us out of here."

"Well, the Fyre Kingdom is currently experimenting with explosives. Since the kingdom is located within a volcano, another place had to be found for these experiments. Some of them were successful while others weren't."

"And your plan is to blow up this wagon?" Bonnibelle asked, catching on to Fiamette's idea.

"Yes but there are a couple risks. I do not know the blast range of the certain formula I currently have nor do I have the means to light it."

"Is the explosive some kind of powder?"

"Yes but it is already in a sealed container with a fuse."

"How long is the fuse?"

"Long enough for about forty five seconds until it goes off. But the blast range..."

"Hmm... I know! We can make a small crevice in the corner of the wagon and stay as far away from it as possible."

"How?" Fiamette questioned. "We don't have anything to use."

"Yes we do," Bonnibelle replied with a smile spreading through her face.

* * *

"Sebastian, the faithful butler and adviser of the Candia princess," the Ice king sneered as he put all his weight on the metal boot that pressed on the butler's torso. Simon Petrikov smiled sadistically as a couple of Peppermint's ribs broke and coughed up blood. "How devastated would the princess be to find her butler and old friend dead and her kingdom in ruins?" he mocked.

Peppermint glared up at him and smirked. "You're a fool, Simon," he hissed then plunged a dagger deep into the Ice King's leg.

The tyrant roared in pain as a trumpet flair rang out. On the eastern hills of Candia was a silhouette of a horse. It's rider raised its sword as the horse ran down towards them. Thousand of others poured from behind the leader and joined the battle on the outskirts of the village.

Simon cursed as Gunther appeared behind him on horseback. Sebastian propped himself up on his elbows, wincing a couple times. He looked up and stared straight at the glaring eyes of the Ice King. "I wonder what Betty, the Ice Queen, would think of you if she sees you now?" He growled.

"How dare you speak the name of my wife, you disrespectful peasant!" The Ice King roared and drew his sword.

"How dare you kidnap innocent princesses in hopes of of replacing your wife!"

The Ice King's eyes widened as his body went rigid. "My Lord! Prince Walter of the Berryson kingdom has arrived with his legion! We must retreat!" Gunther yelled.

The King glared at the butler on the ground. He lowered his sword and turned to his first knight. Gunther grasped his hand and pulled the king behind him on the horse. "We will meet again, butler," Simon hissed. "You will pay for that arrogant mouth of yours."

Sebastian Peppermint tilted his head upwards and spit in the tyrant's face. "In honor of Ooo's champion, Finnegan Hunt," the butler smirked at him, remembering when he first met the boy in what seemed like a lifetime ago.

The Ice king glared daggers at him then commanded Gunther to call for a retreat. The Ice legion receded from Candia's borders as the yellow armored survivors cheered. Sebastian let out a sigh of relief as medics, led by Doctor Princess Cream, ran to the battle field, tending to the wounded. He laid back down on the field as the red hair prince of their ally kingdom kneeled down by his side.

"I apologize for our tardiness, Sir Peppermint."

"Your apology is unnecessary, my lord, for your arrival has scared off the tyrant," Sebastian rasped out and slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

"Queen Marceline!"screamed a knight that rode towards the combined forces of the Shadow Regiment and the Fyre soldiers. He rode from the direction of the Marceline's castle. As he met the monarchs, his horse turned around to ride behind them in a respectful distance. "My deepest apologies, your grace, but the princesses are gone!"

"What!?" the two monarchs screamed and rode even faster.

"They slipped passed security and made their way to the woods. Sir Hambo noticed this and went after them on horseback after sending me to inform you."

"Which forest did they go to?" The queen yelled over the howl of the wind.

"The one by the Ice Kingdom!"

"They went to see the Ice Queen!" Kyzard screamed. "This way." The Fyre King jerked at the reins and rode towards the forest.

The soldiers followed the two monarchs through the loose trees of the Forest of Tales. Their horses maneuvered flawlessly through the trees as quickly as their riders willed them. After a while, another horse with a butler as a rider galloped towards them.

"Hambo!" the Queen of the Night o'Sphere cried.

"My lady," the butler panted. "My deepest apologies. I did not think they would try to get away."

"They are still young. It is not your fault. Did you find them?"

"Yes, my lady. They have been captured by the Earl of Lemongrab. His men threw them into a wooden wagon and are headed north to the Petrikov mountain kingdom."

"Lead the way then," the Fyre king returned.

The auburn horse of the butler led the massive force through the forest and slowed when they came near the Earl of Lemongrab's legion fifteen minutes later. Most of the soldiers, along with the king, unmounted their horses and snuck through the trees. Archers positioned themselves about twenty feet ahead of the enemy front line in an ambush. Footsoldiers and spearmen hid behind trunks as the queen led the horsemen far behind the unknowing legion then around the other side of the path. The wooden wagon that Hambo claimed held the princesses was protected by six soldiers, Lemongrab and his first knight. It was near the back of the formation that the enemy legion marched in.

The enemy was now passing the ambush set up by the archers. The muscles of both the warriors and their horses tensed as they prepared to charge on the enemy. Kyzard unsheathed his prized sword as a red axe flew through the air and beheaded one of the generals. Soldiers of both the Shadow Regiment and the Fyre Kingdom poured from both sides of the path, flanking the enemy. A cacophony of roars and metal hitting metal can be heard throughout the whole forest, attracting the attention of a shadowy figure within the trees.

King Kyzard fought his way towards the Earl. Queen Marceline was not far behind him. Both monarchs cut down soldiers as they fought to save the princesses from being the possible wife of the the Ice King. Marceline freed her axe that was embedded in the body of the first casualty of this assault. The Fyre king pounced on the Earl, knocking him off the horse and punched him in face. Lemongrab kicked him in the stomach and punched him in the face. Kyzard jumped off of him as the warrior queen jumped into the air and brought the ancient axe crashing down on the Earl's head. Lemongrab rolled out of the way in the last second then scrambled to his feet.

"This. Is. UNACCEPTABLE!" He roared in his high pitched, screechy voice. He drew his sword and the knights around him followed his lead. They followed their leader who charged at the monarchs who raised their weapons and charged as well. Before the leaders of the legions could clash, the wagon exploded, knocking down everyone nearby including the monarchs and the Earl. The smoke cleared and there were the princesses, dazed by the force and impact of the explosion but very much alive, staggering out of the remenants of the wagon. Their crowns, deformed and bent out of their original shapes, rolled away

Most of the soldiers near the explosion were either dead or unconscious. Kyzard, seeing that his daughter was alive and breathing, took advantage of the element of surprise and pressed his blade on the windpipe of Lemongrab, drawing blood but not killing. "Bonnibelle!" Marceline cried out as the Candia princess staggered towards her.

"We-we did it. We used our crowns to-to make a small crevice and-and light the fuse," Bonnibelle sighed and passed out. Marceline caught her before she hit the ground and carried her to a horse. Most of the Earl's men have fallen by the time Fiamette made it out of the wreckage.

"Would you like to know something about me, Kyzard?" Lemongrab managed to rasp out with blade pressing at his throat.

"I don't have the patience or the care to get to know vermin like you," the king growled.

"Hehe you will want to know this," he laughed, causing Kyzard to press harder on his neck. "I have a twin brother."

Kyzard glared at him as he turned his head towards the ashes of the wagon. The king's grip tightened as he followed his enemy's eyes. The two of them watched as Fiamette dug herself out of the debris but was yanked in the hair by the Lemongrab first knight. She screamed in pain as the knight removed his helmet, revealing a man that looked exactly like Lemongrab. Fiamette tried to fight back but she was still weakened by the bomb. She stuffed her hand back into the folds of her dress. Fiamette threw gunpowder into the face of her captor who dropped her when it hit him. The powder penetrated his eyes, mouth and nose and even fell down his armor. The Fyre princess scrambled through the ground and grabbed her crown. She turned towards the knight who was screaming in agony and trying to claw out the explosive powder from his eyes. Fiamette raised her damaged crown and struck at the knight's metal armor, creating the smallest spark. That small spark, however, was more than enough to ignite the gunpowder.

The explosion was not as grand as the previous but was large enough to knock the princess back and leave the knight writhing pain. Screams of agony erupted from his chest, his face was half burnt and his eyes were no longer able to serve their purpose. "That was unacceptable!" He screamed. "I don't care what my orders are, you will die!" He fumbled around and found the hilt of his sword. Following the coughing sounds that came from the princess of the blacksmithing kingdom, he staggered towards his royal target.

Queen Marceline handed Bonnibelle's unconscious body to Hambo, who was still on his horse. The sound of another explosion caused her to whirl around. She saw the Fyre princess get thrown back to the ground and the soldier finding his weapon. Marceline dove for her axe as Kyzard, completely forgetting about the Earl, and started to run towards his daughter. He was tackled to the ground by Lemongrab who grabbed his hair and forced his head up. "Watch," he hissed into the king's ear. "Witness the demise of your precious little angel in the hands of my brother." Marceline picked up her axe and flung it towards the Earl's twin. However, it was parried by a sword thrown by Lemongrab himself.

The Fyre king struggled against the grip that was holding him down. He froze when the Earl's twin raised his sword and forced his daughter on her feet. Fiamette, having no more energy to even stand, swayed on her feet. The knight turned her so she can see the charred face of her killer. Her eyes were barely open but she was able to see the glint of the sun's rays reflecting off of the weapon that was about to plunge into her beating heart. She closed her eyes and waited for the blade to take her life. But it never came.

"Fiamette!"

Fiamette's eyes snapped open at the scream of her father. She felt a powerful arm snake around her waist and pull her away from danger. The arm pulled her to its master who towered over her. Fiamette lost herself in the dark ocean blue eyes of her rescuer. Blonde locks swished over his eyes as the scent of oak radiated off of him. His body was bent forward as he swung his sword to Fiamette's captor. The princess gripped the shirt of her rescuer and pressed herself closer to his body in desperate need of the comfort his warmth provided. The strong, muscular arm around her waist tightened as the pressure of the embrace calmed the shivers of the princess.

Marceline's dark obsidian eyes widened and began to glisten as tears swam through them. She fell to her knees as joy and relief washed over her world weary body. She let out a sigh of happiness as her eyes fell on the blood red sword that shined in the man's hands after beheading the Earl's brother. The same blood red sword that pulsed with the rumored heartbeat of Ooo. The same blood red sword that refused to leave its embedded position in the center of the Dark Forest. The same blood red sword that was passed down from Alexander Hunt to his son.

"He's back," Marceline whispered as tears of a hundred emotions trailed down her cheeks. "Finn's back."


	6. I Remember You

6) I Remember You

"Free citizens of Ooo!" Marceline declared to the over joyed faces beaming up at her. "Tonight, the princesses of the Fyre Kingdom and the Candia Kingdom and the Doctor Princess feast with us after these heroic battles. I pray for the souls we lost today. They died as heroes of Ooo and it is thanks to the strength and bravery of our soldiers that the Ice Tyrant grows weaker."

"Yes, the Crystal Queen is dead and the Earl of Lemongrab is fettered down within the Candia Kingdom dungeons," continued Princess Bubblegum. The citizens of Candia Kingdom, the Fyre Kingdom, the Berryson Kingdom and the Night o'Sphere erupted into cheers before the monarchs. "Their legions have fallen and the Ice King is debilitating!"

"Tonight, not only do we celebrate this victory of the alliance against the Ice King," Warrior Queen Marceline beamed to the thousands of men, women and children packed within the plaza and castle grounds. She stood on the front balcony of the pinkish-red bricked castle with Princess Bonnibelle beaming at her side. The two butlers, Davis Hambo and Sebastian Peppermint, stood at a respectful distance behind their respective monarchs. Fiamette and her father, along with Flambo, smiled upon the crowd beside Walter Wildberry, the prince of the Berryson kingdom. "But also the return of our beloved hero, Finnegan Hunt!"

The volume of the roars of the crowd reached deafening when a tall, well built man with flowing blond locks reaching passed his deep azure eyes and to the back of his neck strode forward proudly as the monarchs stepped aside. They applauded as the crowd hollered and cheered. Finn, no longer a boy but a man of twenty five, towered over the monarchs, even the Fyre King himself. It has been a whole ten years since his disappearance but every man, woman and child knows his name. Tales of his brave, heroic deeds and legendary feats kept his legacy alive. Those who knew him personally were beyond ecstatic for hope has returned to their land in the form of a blond haired and blue eyed young man. Those who never had the opportunity to meet him instantly recognized him as legendary warrior of peace and guardian of Ooo depicted by myths and legends. The signature blood red blade that shined glistened proudly on his hip was recognized by all. He wore metal armored boots, knee guards gloves gauntlets and shoulder pads. He was given, by the warrior queen, a black shirt of silk with and intricate silver design on the hem and a cape of royal blue to drape over his shoulder. There was no doubt to anyone's mind that this man indeed was the man of legend and bravery. There was no doubt that Finnegan Hunt has returned.

"Let the festivities begin!" His deep tenor boomed and crowd returned it with a roar. Music and laughter filled the air, something that hasn't happened in a decade. Songs of Finn defeating the Ice King and other mythical monsters of folk lore single handedly ran through the night. The hero himself traveled around the plaza, greeting old friends, meeting new ones and occasionally playing with the children that looked up at him in awe. Everybody was eager to see the young hero. Some of the elderly thanked the almighty Glob for the return of Ooo's champion. All of them rejoiced for hoped had returned to their land.

Then, food was served. Different chefs from each of the kingdoms sent their mouth watering dishes for the festivities. The dishes themselves sent their enticing aromas into the air. Children settled down and found their parents. Hundreds of tables were set out for the citizens to dine upon.

"Come, hero," Queen Marceline addressed the blonde man from behind. "Come dine me and the other royals. There are many questions you need to answer and stories to depict. Ten years worth of stories."

"Of course, my lady," Finn replied then bowed to the warrior queen. She led the way through the crowd and to the Candia Palace Gardens. Other royals, as well as a couple of aristocrats, have already found their seats and were chatting and dining in the privacy and luxury that the gardens provided. The Champion of Ooo followed the Queen of the Night o'Sphere to where the Candia and Fyre royals dined. The other royals quieted down at the presence of the man of the hour. No doubt they were all curious as to what befell the hero after his mythical battle against the Master Assassin, Xerxes, as well as his whereabouts for the past decade.

"Finn! Marceline!" Exclaimed Princess Bubblegum when she spotted them. Fiamette beamed at her rescuer.

"Ah! Young Finnegan Hunt!" The Fyre King announced in a deep loud voice then stood and shook hands with the blonde. "It is an honor to finally meet the legendary Champion of Hope and Peace of our beloved land."

"You are too kind, your majesty," the young man returned politely and bowed down. "The 'legendary' title belongs to my father. I have yet to live up to his name."

"Yes, Alexander was a great man. I knew your father," Kyzard sighed nostalgically. "He was a brave and noble man, much like yourself. Like your father, your name will go down in history as the man who will save all of Ooo by the sword in his hand. That same sword you have right there. Many titles will be given to you. One of them will be 'Silencer of the Ice Tyrant'!"

"Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves here Kyzard," Marceline laughed. "Let the young man eat for he will be needing that energy. There is a good number of people just waiting ever so eagerly to hear his story." She and Finn made their way to their seats as the king found his. Food was served and the other aristocrats chatted again. This time, they

whispered predictions of what happened to the hero.

"What did you do after the battle, Finn?" Bonnibelle asked in the middle of the meal, unable to contain her questions. "You just disappeared."

"Well, my lady, after delivering the Fyre princess to her father," Finn started, "I came back here to Candia, to make sure all was well. Then I made my way to the Fyre kingdom and found it safe for the time being. After that, I went home, back to the Tree Fort."

"Understandable," Queen Marceline nodded. "No one has been in there since your disappearance. I hope that it is still in good condition."

"Actually, it was, your majesty. Everything did seem dusty but for a place that hasn't been lived in for a decade, it's holding up pretty well," the hero replied then took a bite of the smoked salmon he was served. He took a breath and dropped his voice slightly. "I was also looking for Jake."

The others around the table silenced themselves and stopped eating. "Finn," Bonnibelle whispered softly. "Jake is, um..."

"It's okay, princess," Finn sighed. "I saw the statue when I came back and I heard stories from several of the citizens as well as Peppermint Butler. Thank you for taking care of Jake. I just wanted to see for myself if he really was gone."

The monarchs and the hero ate in silence after the princess nodded in reply. When they finished the main course of the meal, their plates were cleared away by the Candia palace staff and replaced by the second course.

"Finn," Queen Marceline interrupted the awkward silence that loomed over the table. "I believe that it is about time that you told us what happened ten years ago up to the battle against the Ice king's invasion."

The Fyre princess and king, along with the Candia princess, froze. The atmosphere became tense as all eyes fell upon the blonde haired and blue eyed young man. Finn's eyes darkened as his gaze fell. "Before I answer that, my Queen," he whispered softly and calmly. "I mean no offense by it, but please tell us about the Ice King before the disappearance of his wife."

Something flickered in the eyes of the warrior Queen. "How is Simon and his past relevant to to your disappearance?"

"Please, my lady," Finn replied and bowed his head towards her. "It will make much more sense if your story precedes mine."

The warrior queen sighed heavily. Bonnibelle watched as world weariness spread through her face. The strawberry blonde princess had known the queen for as long as she can remember. Not once has she seen such a crestfallen expression befall the face of the mighty queen. Neither did the King of the Fyre Kingdom who met the Night o'Sphere Queen in her late teen years. Marceline finished her wine before the exordium of her tale.

"Simon is one of the oldest of the royals that live today. He came to power years after my own father. The Abadeer Kingdom was in a state of chaos when my father assumed the throne. He deemed it best for me to leave the kingdom. I will admit that he was not the best father but I knew he still cared. A kingdom on the brink of madness was no place for a little girl. I traveled alone. My father insisted that I should travel with company but he needed every man he had to suppress the rebellion. For weeks I traveled, hiding from the rebels and putting as much space between me and the Abadeer castle. Soon I stumbled upon the ruins of a small town. It was an old abandoned ghost in the middle of Glob knows where. The houses and other buildings were crumbling apart and the food were too old or dry to provide any nourishment."

The fearless and confident warrior queen shifted uncomfortably on her seat. "That was when I gave up. I hadn't eaten in days and the kingdom, the family and friends that I left behind never left my mind. For all I knew, the Kingdom could've been destroyed already. I had no where to go, no where to go back to. I knew that my father would've wanted me to keep the Abadeer family alive but at that point, it was impossible. Then, as fate wold have it, Simon Petrikov, who was a prince at the time, found me dying on the dirt road. He helped me, saved me. He nourished me then, temporarily abandoning his search for his fiancé, took me back to the Ice Kingdom where I was able get back to good health. He was like a father to me, even more than my actual father was to me."

The nostalgia on her face was quickly replaced by fear, anger and pain before she continued her story. "Years passed and I lived happily in the crystalline walls of the Ice palace. However, I noticed changes in Simon when he gained the title of 'King'. He was more aggressive and impatient. He isolated himself, secluded himself from any of the servants, the noblemen and even me. Soon after his crowning, he began obsessing over his long lost fiancé. He even went as far as to give her the title as the Queen of his kingdom and his surname, Petrikov. He completely ignored the citizens and abused his servants. His knights abandoned him and when the citizens threatened to do the same, Simon suppressed them with the help of Gunther and his cavalry. The servants hid me in the village during the times of his rage and rampancy. He did terrible things that I could not imagine the man that saved so many years ago was capable of. When he started kidnapping princesses and arranged forced marriages, that's when I stepped up against him."

"This was before the War against the Night o'Sphere King, I presume," Kyzard thought out loud.

"Yes. I was around my teen years when the Ice King's tyranny began," Marceline answered then turned to the hero of Ooo. "What did the Ice king's past have in relevance of your ten year long disappearance?"

Finn sat straight up and took a deep breath. The others around the table turned their attention to the blonde man, eager to hear a decade's worth of tales. "I asked you to tell of the Ice King's story to shed some light on his background and add on to his credibility."

"Credibility?" The princess of the Candia kingdom questioned.

"Yes princess. My disappearance ten years was more a summoning, by three men that claim called themselves 'the Three Wise Men'."

* * *

"Is he dead? By Jove, Maximus! I've killed our young hero!" An old man's voice gasped.

"Calm down Phineas. The boy is breathing. See, there? He's breathing, right Tobias?" an rough voice soothed the frantic old man.

"Maximus is right. Besides, if this young man died because of your summoning, Phineas, then we probably summoned the wrong boy," another voice came in.

A groan escaped from the blonde haired teen. His eyes fluttered open to reveal light blue eyes glazed over by sleep. At first, all Finn saw were blurry silhouettes standing over him then his eyes cleared. Standing over him were three men in similar clothing; a white toga held together over the shoulder with a golden pin and gold rope that hung loosely around the waist, but had varying physiques. One of them had the build of a warrior, obvious from the muscles bulging on his arms, with curling auburn hair with a matching beard. A helmet with horns coming out of it was covering the top of his head, showing that this burly man was a Viking. To his left was a frail man clutching a dark blue tome in his bony arms and a scholar's cap perched on the dome of his head. He was the eldest of the three, clear from the long silver beard that hung on his chin. The third was a broad shouldered man with a bright gold crown sitting on his head, making his brown hair appear darker.

"Ah, finally awake are you now?" the Viking smiled down.

Finn was not quite awake yet. His response came out as unintelligent and incomprehensible gibbering.

"Have you lost your tongue boy?" Finn felt a large hand on his back, a comforting weight. The weight disappeared and came back with a bigger force. Again and again it came until Finn grunted. "There we go! We finally got something out of him!"

"Who-?" Something got stuck inside the boy's throat. After swallowing in great effort, he spoke again. "Who are you? And where are we?"

"I am Maximus! One of the legendary warriors of Viking clansmen!" laughed the man with auburn hair.

"My name is Phineas, a scholar in the mysteries of magic," the frail old man piped out.

"And I am King Tobias III. Though I have no doubt that you've never heard of us," the man under the crown smiled down.

"That puzzles me so your majesty," Finn replied politely, remembering to mind his manners in the presence of royalty. "From the titles that all of you have, I can tell that each of you are very important and should be remembered throughout history but I have never hear of any of you."

"Did you hear that? We 'should be remembered throughout history'! I feel that we are going to get along already!" Maximus exclaimed.

"How come I have never heard any of you?" Finn turned to the scholar for answers but it was the King that answered his question.

"Because we were erased from history in our deaths."

"It's a nasty bit of magic," Phineas explained quickly to the teen's puzzled expression. "The three of us were pitted against a mighty foe and eventually defeated."

"All three of you?" Finn gasped. Who could be powerful enough to take on a King, a Viking and, though he looked frail, someone knowledgeable in magic?

"The greatest menace this world has ever faced," Tobias's voice whispered grimly. "He would have destroyed all life as we knew it if he wasn't stopped by Billy."

Dawning realization came to the teen's face. "The Lich? You three fought against the Lich?" he asked incredulously.

"Yes we did, lad," Maximus grunted. "The three of us knew that we would not be strong enough to defeat the Lich but luckily for the world, young Billy was racing against time to find our battle."

"We had hoped to weaken the Lich enough to allow Billy to finish our job. The Lich is strong and very powerful and even though Billy was able to defeat him, he didn't die," Phineas rasped out.

"You mean, he still roams Ooo?" Finn asked, fully awake now.

"Well it's more complicated than that," the old man returned. He moved to sit on the edge of Finn's bed as the teen sat up. "The Lich was, is, a very powerful necromancer with endless knowledge. He was practically immortal in power and intellect. He couldn't be killed. When we died by his hand, the spell I casted on the three of us worked. It sent our souls to a place between the mortal plain and final frontier. That is where you are now."

Finn let his blue eyes wander over his surroundings. It looked as if he slumbered in a noble man's home. The walls and pillars were made of white marble. Foreign rugs covered the conglomerate tiles as silky white curtains flowed in the cool breeze that flowed into the room. Musical instruments shined in the corner of the bed room. He then looked down on himself. His clothes were torn but clean. The scratches on his hands were already beginning to heal. Where on Ooo did he get those cuts?

Finn gasped loudly and jumped to his feet, almost knocking over the old man. "Xerxes! I fought him in the forest! He was going to assassinate on of the monarchs in the royal meeting! I have to get back and-"

"Calm down there child," Maximus laughed. "Old Xerxes is dead. What ever blasted spell that Phineas used on that circle worked. Only you could've survived the summoning, no one else."

"Summoning spell?"

"Yes," Phineas answered after steadying himself. "Let me explain from where I left off. The three of us are souls. We agreed to have this spell casted on us before the battle with the Lich. We knew that we weren't going to succeed. This was the only way that we could ensure his defeat postmortem. We had a feeling that even after his defeat in the hands of Billy, the Lich would still have a back up plan. And he did."

"He had spell casted on him that would be triggered right before his death," Tobias continued, allowing the old man to get his breath back. "The spell stripped him of his humanity, darkening his soul even further but increasing his powers tenfold. It was young Billy that triggered it when he delivered the final blow. We-our souls-watched the battle unfold. When the Lich was transforming, Phineas casted a spell that would imprison him in a coffin of impenetrable amber."

"Our souls then traveled here in waiting. This was a very powerful spell. For our souls to not entirely move on, every memory of our existence was wiped out," Maximus finished.

"That's terrible! Why did you do that? What are you waiting for?" Finn muttered, mesmerized in the lost history that had such an incredible impact in the flow of time.

"Were. We were waiting. Now we are not. We were waiting for you Finn. My magic worked best in the mysterious Dark Forest. When you willingly charged into the woods in pursuit of the master assassin, I took my chance." Phineas breathed out. "I figured that it was the only opportunity I was going to get to summon you. You had to be willing to face the Dark Forest and not think of your own safety before I could've summoned you."

"That light I saw, was that your spell?"

"Yes, the bobbing light led you to the heart of the forest. There are three conditions in summoning a hero. I have already mentioned the first two. The third was the official recognition of all the royals of Ooo. And you met all three conditions. Once you were in the center of the Dark Forest, I summoned you," Phineas concluded.

"I don't have recognition of all monarchs. The Ice King and his allies-"

"Ah but you do," Tobias replied. "Do you not know of the blood red sword your father passe down to you?" Finn shook his head. "It was given to him when he slew the might demon Goroven. The sword was forged by the Fyre Kingdom in the blood of that very demon, blessed by every monarch and presented to your father. This was before the Ice King's tyranny."

"Speaking of the Ice King," Maximus interjected. "He is not who he seems. He was a good man who grieved a missing wife in the worst time possible. When his wife disappeared, he was devastated and became weak in both body and mind. So weak in fact that he was able to hear the voice of the Lich through the impenetrable walls of his ember tomb miles and miles underground. The voice hypnotized him, seduced him of his false hopes that his wife was still alive and still loved him. The voices lured him into the ruins of the Lich's former home where he discovered that forsaken crown that further strengthened the Lich's grip on him and gave him unimaginable power. He lost himself to madness and insanity. Poor Marceline had to watch it all happen."

"Marcy?" Finn exclaimed in the mention on his friend's name. "What does she have to do with the Ice King?"

"He was like a second father to her. With her around, he temporarily lost obsession with his lost wife," Tobias answered. "Also, none of the monarchs in the meeting were in any danger. The assassin wasn't sent for any of them, he was sent to kill it wasn't the Simon that sent him but I am certain you can guess who."

Finn looked up to the King that history has no memory of, already knowing the answer but hoping that he was wrong. "The Lich."

"Yes," Phineas rasped. "The Lich found your father. He was afraid that Alexander would find a way to end him permanently. One he passed away, the Lich set his eyes on you. He didn't want a righteous hero promoting peace in Ooo and getting in the way of his puppet, the Ice King. But he couldn't just kill you. In order to divert attention from himself, he had to wait until the perfect opportunity to lure you out. The meeting of the royals gave him that opportunity."

"Is that why you summoned me? To save me from the assassination?" Finn muttered, not liking the fact that he let himself be lured out so easily.

"Yes but it is not the only reason," Maximus answered. There something comforting about the way he answered Finn, as if he knew what was going on in his head as another warrior. "We have also summoned you here to train you. The Ice King is merely a puppet but he is still in there. He was not the man that became the Ice Tyrant, but the man who is trapped under the influence of that damned crown the Lich led him to. Free Simon Petrikov from the Lich's influence, and he will be much easier to defeat."

"And how does one defeat the Lich exactly?" Finn inquired.

The three men glanced nervously at each other before answering the young hero's question. "We don't exactly know yet," Phineas sighed. "We only know of ways to make him weaker and weaker but not how to permanently put an end to him. In the past, that was enough to keep him from rising again but I'm afraid that he keeps getting stronger. It is only matter of time before he breaks free of his ember prison and lay siege on Ooo once more."

"In what methods will you be training me exactly? And how long?" Finn questioned, straightening up as if ready to get started.

"Ten years. Maximus and I will be training you in combat. Maximus will also be teaching you weapon techniques and finding which one suits you the best while you learn leadership within a battle from me. Phineas will be teaching about magic; if you can use it, how to identify a magic user-which there aren't many- and how to protect yourself and your comrades from them," King Tobias answered immediately.

Finn stood to his feet and squared his shoulders. The green eyes of Tobias, brown eyes of Maximus and blue ones of Phineas followed the young hero's movements. They were always watching him, ever since his father trained with him. They've watch this boy spar with his father, play with his mother, grieve of their deaths, begin training again and eventually become the champion of Ooo. Finn's own blue eyes met with each one of there's with a new fire in them. "When do we start?"

* * *

"You can save Simon from that wretched crown?" Marceline whispered softly, hope and disbelief noticeable in her voice. "I always thought that the he was too far gone. That he could never come back."

"He can come back," Finn soothed to the warrior queen, placing one of his large hands over hers. "But it will be with the utmost difficulty. The hardest thing that anyone can do, second only to the ending of the Lich himself."

"Speaking of the Lich," Bonnibelle piped in. "Did the Three Wise Men ever happen to tell where he was buried? I've had my excavators search for him. As did my parents and grandparents, years after Billy defeated him. They had their own suspicions since they never found the Lich's body. Every single inch of Ooo has been searched. Where could he have possibly be buried?"

Fiamette watched as the Finn's Adam's apple wobbled on his throat as he gulped nervously, as if afraid of how his answer would impact the rest of them. He leaned forward. The seriousness on the face made the other monarchs involuntarily lean towards him, eager to hear whatever secret he had to whisper. "The Three Wise Men said that he was 'hidden in plain sight'. It took me a while to figure it out but once I found out and shared my answer with them, they deemed me correct."

"Where Finn? Where is the Lich hidden?" Fiamette's voice came out small. This was the first time she spoke directly to the young hero who saved her as if it was second nature to him. Finn looked towards her. His ocean blue pierced through her. They were dark with the gravity of the news he holds. Fiamette longed to fall in his eyes and see what he has seen, share whatever burden that he or others have placed on him.

Finn sighed and looked towards the Candia Castle. Its red brick walls and maroon tiled roofs were the same as he remembered when he first set eyes on the kingdom. The giant tree that grew around wrapped itself round the main guard tower. Bonnibelle once told him of the history of that tree. She depicted how it was there when the castle was being built but the first King had been mesmerized by its beauty and rarity that he refused to cut it down. It roots reached deep underground and touched the sky. It was the largest tree in Ooo and it symbolized the everlasting beauty of Mother nature, earning its name as Gaia's Heart.

"Unfortunately, my lady," Finn sighed and turned to the Candia Princess. "Though you have searched every inch of Ooo, you never searched your iwn castle. It is a cruel irony that most terrible of all evils in hidden within the heart of our land's every symbol of beauty and peace. The Lich resides in the deepest roots of that tree, princess. In the roots of Gaia's heart, miles under your own kingdom."


End file.
